Siren
by shiroiokami
Summary: Allen is a merman who is rejected from his community of fish-people. Hiding behind a rock, he meets Kanda. What will come of this meeting? Contains OC and randomness. Please R&R! *NOTE* The prologue is for background on the story, it does not currently have anything to do with the story as it is, but will later on. Please read on!
1. Prologue

_***A.N.:**_ I took down all the chapters and submitted this instead because I felt that my story needed to have more of a background and consistency to it so it doesn't feel so random to my readers. It all makes sense in my head and it has a background story and everything, I just have to write it down. Please, read this prologue and tell me what you think!

_*****UPDATE:**_ Alrighty then... Just in case people actually read these... I've been getting some reviews back wondering why this particular chapter does not match the summary and asking if I maybe posted the wrong content, and I just wanted to let everyone know that **_NO, I HAVE NOT. THIS WAS POSTED FIRST FOR A REASON_**. I have also noticed that because of this I've been gettin a lot of people that don't really read beyond this prologue, hence the new note in the summary. If you are one of these people, I am hurt by this... But if you are one of those that do read beyond just this one, you are appreciated! Read on, my friends!

Oh, and of course, I don't own -Man or the characters or the original plot line or anything like that.

* * *

PROLOGUE

Everything was in shambles. The trees had been burnt away, leaving behind only a toothpick to mark the once grand beauties. Any houses and gardens met the same fate, and the ground beneath the feet of the only two souls present to see it had been turned up and tossed about like it weighed no more than a feather. All around them were broken walls and windows, doors and tiles scattered everywhere, pieces that came from a massive hill of debris in front of them that once was the Black Order headquarters. It was a massive hill that held interwoven in all the debris the battered bodies that once were exorcists and finders and civilians and scientists, a massive hill that marked the end of a war... a massive hill that also marked the beginnings of the next war and, along with it, a hell forced upon two condemned souls that should've been put to rest right along with all the trees and scientists and civilians, but instead were once again used for the better of the two that took in the outcome of their interference in a single mortal's life.

_These two... why them?_ The taller of the two asked.

_They are perfect for the role. Why else? Their souls were already beaten and bruised. A few more bruises won't make a difference._ The other responded.

_Are you sure?_ The first one, a male said, watching out of the corner of his eye as one of the condemned souls arose from the fresh battlefield and advanced towards them in a slow and pained manner.

"_...y..."_ it began, startling the other one, a woman.

_Who goes?!_ She cried, spinning around so fast her hair slapped the cheek of her compaion.

"_...why..." _it repeated as it struggled to walk, its steps and voice growing in strength enough for it to be identified as having once been male.

_...I think he's confused, Ka-...mistress..._ the first one said, bowing his head.

_Confused? Oh right. Of course. These humans know nothing. Ha!_ The woman said, letting out a cackle that was short lived.

"_WHY?! WHY US? WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT US? WHAT WAS SO __**WRONG**__ ABOUT US?!" _The soul screamed at the woman, tearing at hair that was no longer white, scratching at eyes and cheek and jaw that no longer existed.

_Mistress... If I may interject... I think this poor damned soul deserves- _The man began to suggest to his mistress, however he was cut off as his mistress lashed out at him, cackling.

_**You **__think? You THINK? Who do you THINK you are? You are nothing more than a tool, a servant, a SLAVE! You are not here to think, you are here to obey! To do your job! So do it! _ The woman lashed out at her slave.

The slave bowed his head, not in shame, but in contained rage and sorrow. _Yes, mistress..._ Was all he said before walking towards the tormented soul still tearing at his face.

_I'm sorry... but I cannot disobey her... please understand that I, too, was forced into this..._ the slave said, reaching towards the soul with a trembling hand, a glowing hand.

"_What... what are you... no... NO! GET AWAY! NO, KANDA!" _The soul screamed in both pain and terror, calling out the name of his partner in his panic.

So strong were the cries of the tormented and trapped soul that the dead battlefield stirred once more, releasing another tormented soul, just as strong as the other, just as scarred and terrified, but this one was more proud, and just as angry as the other.

"_Back away from him, beast."_ The soul said, its voice echoing through the dead land.

_And who do we have here? HAHAHA! Looks like your fuck-buddy finally awoke. Welcome, my precious pawn, to my party!_ The mistress said, spreading her arms out in mock welcome.

The soul growled. _"BEAST, back away from my partner."_ he once again said, his voice growing alongside with his anger.

_SLAVE, stay put. _Said the slaves' mistress, but her words fell on deaf ears. Her slave was doubting her command, and with the growing anger of the new arrival came the loss of command she held over him.

"_Beast, if you know what's good for you, you will do as I demand. BACK AWAY FROM MY LOVE!"_ The soul finally cried, his last statement being enough to win the slave over long enough for him to obey the command of 'retreat' at the same time his mistress cried out for him to listen to her and not a dead man's soul.

"_Moyashi... forgive me, I tried..."_ The other soul said, finally approaching the first soul, wrapping him up in an embrace so tender it made the earth tremble with fear for what fate held for them.

"_Kanda... it's alright... neither one of us could've done anything, we were both blind-sighted."_ the soul that was called moyashi said, returning the embrace.

_Ugh, I've had enough of this sappy love crap. Slave! Finish this already. Slave! What are you thinking! Do as I command! Why won't you listen?!_ The mistress kept calling out to her slave, but he was lost in his own thoughts.

_Love... you knew how to love once... we were friends once, not master and slave... why did you change? Why..._ His words were whispered, but they echoed through the landscape the way a battle cry does.

_Love? Friends? Restraints only, restraints and weights holding me back from grace. Now, why don't you come out of your daydream and send these poor, tormented souls to their next life already, DARLING?_ And with that last word, the slave snapped out of one reverie and was shoved right onto another, one he could not control.

_Kanda... Allen... please for—for... forgive me... I am under her control... I can't stop... but I can— at least I can... UGH!_ The slave flashed in front of the now frightened souls, struggling against himself the entire way. _I can... make you two forget your... painful pasts... and give you a key, and an oath. A promise out of my blood, that you will one day reach nirvana...together..._ he tried to continue, but chocked, for his struggles and even his own words brought a knot to his throat that he could not work around. Instead, he let his actions speak for themselves, defying his mistress and ignoring her cries once more, trapping her where she stood with a spell of his own, continuing with his spell on the souls, marking them with a seal that bound them together and sending them on their way in the most peaceful of ways that he could manage at that point, collapsing and therefore freeing his mistress immediately after.

* * *

Just beyond the hill of debris, enough into the shadows to where they could not be noticed but close enough to where they could still hear and see were two more souls, similar to the two that had just been sent but different in a way or two. Having been awakened also by the silverette's cries, they remained outside of the area, concealed by their state mostly.

"I had forgotten about this day." the first said.

"Me too. It's a pity we can't remember any of what we know when we reincarnate." the second stated.

"Speaking of which, we should do the same. This is just a memory after all." the first said.

"A memory huh? How did we die this time?" the second asked.

"Explosion. Someone rigged our car and it went off while we were passing by this same spot." the first one said, letting out a dry chuckle.

The second one joined the first in his chuckle. "Talk about irony..." he drifted off, looking at his companion with longing. "See you on the other side..."

The first returned the glance, giving a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. See you on the other side."

And with that, they too drifted off to another life, the sounds of the ocean drifting into the background and following them to their next adventure.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Allen awoke with a start, panting and thrashing about, heart hammering away borderline heart attack fast. He'd had the nightmare that he always had from the time he turned twelve. Nothing was ever said, of course, but what he could see spoke louder than words ever could. It was always the same scene: a city leveled to rubble and charred remains, trees and houses and people burned to the ground. In the middle, he saw himself standing next to a man he could never identify but knew he was close to, both of them battle-worn and wielding swords, the man having a katana and himself a large broadsword, and they were always fighting a large, fat, messed up in the head clown freak, who had a negative of Allen's sword. It always began and ended the same way, in the same spots like a fixed point or a broken record; Allen and the mystery man rushing at the clown and engaging in what seemed like the final battle, fighting for what seemed like an eternity, then Allen and the man realize they'd have to sacrifice themselves in order to win. Miraculously, they killed the freak without dying, but somehow the already destroyed city gave way, exploding and revealing a creature worse than the clown they'd just disposed of… a dragon.

At that point in the battle it was just them two, everyone else having died already, so it didn't take long for them to fall, and though the dream faded out at that point, he always got the feeling that there was more to it than his dreams showed. Sighing, he stretched and got off his bed, deciding there was no point in trying to figure it out. He let himself lean back and observed the roof of the cave that was his home. There was plant and other sea life growing on there, tiny little creatures that reflected the silver of his scales. Feeling a tickling at his fins, he glanced down, seeing the smaller bottom feeders glide over his tail. His tail… the tail that reflected he was a prince, that he was nobility and therefore higher and more worthy than any other merfolk. Silver scales that seemed to glow and change colors with the sun whenever he decided to sunbathe in his secluded oasis… silver scales that set him apart and set him up for trouble almost every second of every day he lived.

A loud bang resonated throughout the cave, startling him out of his daydream. He turned around swiftly, barely readying himself for his rather sudden visitor... high priestess of the Atlantic… his mother.

"So you're awake this time, huh?" was her form of greeting him.

"Yes, mistress." Was all he responded. It was all he could respond, really. She was his mother, but he wasn't allowed to address her as such. She hated him after all.

"Good. It's about time. I will be very busy today, so I can't spare a second to baby you. I expect you to be at the palace an hour earlier today, for… formal meetings of the high priestess of the Pacific and her daughter, so be on your best." She glanced around the cave looking disgusted before settling her eyes on him. "Try to keep quiet, will you?" she said, turning and letting him be.

Allen sighed. "Great… one hour of freedom, stolen… what to do…?" he said as he swam out of his cave. Looking to the west, he pondered whether to go or not before racing out towards his most favorite spot, much faster than his mother ever would be able to. Racing out, chasing after fleeting dreams that he knew would never be but hoped for anyway, almost tasting them…

There! He could see the cliff already, way in the distance, and the wooden beams supporting the dock of the house that he'd practically become obsessed with for the past few months. Slowing down as he drew closer to the human home, he swam up to a long, thin rock, slowly swimming to the surface and peeking his head barely above the surface of the water, making sure he couldn't be seen from the second floor window of the home. The sun was just barely peeking above the horizon now, morning having just arrived. Inside the home, its three occupants were only just beginning to stir, about to begin their day. Hearing a loud bang, followed by yelling, Allen knew another day had begun for them, and he smiled, getting comfortable.

* * *

Kanda groaned as he stirred in his bed, awakened by his internal alarm clock, as usual one hour before his actual alarm was set to go off. He glanced at his window and sighed. Through it, he could see the sun barely starting to peek out over the horizon. He got up and headed for his bathroom, grabbing a towel off a rack and undressing to shower. For the past few months now he'd been waking up with the feeling that someone was watching him from outside his window, which was ridiculous. His room was on the second floor of his house, all the way to the back of the house, which sat at the edge of a large rock that overlooked the ocean. The house itself was next to the mouth of a river, but the back of the house sat facing the ocean, and the only thing that was solid behind the house was the dock that had been built two years after he moved in.

Chalking it off to be just his imagination, he stepped out of the shower and into his room, welcomed by the sight of his room bathed completely in the early morning sunlight. His room itself was a moderate size, not too small but not very big either, but considering his small amount of belongings and how he'd set up his things about his room, the small space looked to be very large. The dominating feature of his room was the one window facing the ocean, not because of the ocean but because the window itself was so large it took up over half of the wall itself, so much so that he had a pretty large view of the ocean in its full glory, and all behind his house.

Kanda shook his head, trying to clear it. His alarm was set to go off any minute now, considering he'd been standing in the middle of the room staring like an idiot for a good half hour, which meant he only had one more hour he could waste before he had to worry about being late to school. Classes began at eight sharp, but since he lived ten minutes away from school, he could just as easily wait until seven, even seven thirty and still be able to walk to school and make it on time. Recently though, school hadn't really been his main priority.

He got dressed, shut off his alarm before it went off, then after eating a light breakfast, he walked out of the house and sat on the edge of their dock, easily and quickly getting lost in the beauty of the calm waves of the ocean. He distantly heard his caretakers leave, one then the other, then there was absolute silence. The hours melted away without his noticing.

* * *

Allen was worried. He'd been watching the humans for the past seven hours, and the youngest had yet to even move. He still wasn't sure how they measured their days, but he was absolutely positive that today was one of the days when they were all gone for most of the day. The male human that had sat on the dock seemed to have been completely lost in thought from the moment he set foot outside his home, and hadn't moved to eat or drink or anything. Granted, Allen himself hadn't moved either, but he didn't need to eat thrice a day to function properly.

The human shuffled on the dock, positioning himself so he was a bit more comfortable, snapping Allen out of his own thoughts. 'Maybe he'll finally go inside...' Allen thought. He didn't really want the human to go, but he had to eat something eventually, and if he stayed outside any longer, he'd probably end up falling asleep there. Once again, the human moved, this time sighing as he closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hands.

"What time is it..." he muttered to himself, moving to get the strange rectangular device out of his pocket. Glancing at it, he seemed to freeze as he stared at it in shock.

"WHAT?! SHIT! There's no way... What?!" he finally said as he shot up on the dock, gripping the device hard enough to make it crack. "How..."

Another noise resounded nearby, of something falling against something. Footsteps could be heard, harsh and determined, a panicked look crossing the human's face as the sound neared.

"KANDA YUU, YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUS EXPLAINING TO DO!" he heard a woman yell out moments before she came to stand on the dock.

The human that Allen now knew was named Kanda stood before the woman silently, which apparently was not the right answer.

"Well? What exactly was so important that you had to skip a day of school and sit out here for, what, seven hours? What were you doing? Jacking off?" said the woman.

Kanda blushed slightly at her words. "No, I... don't have a reason. I just lost track of time..." he all but mumbled, looking to the side in what could only be described as shame.

The woman raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? Lost track of time? What kind of excuse is that?" she said.

"It's the truth, okay? I came out here to enjoy the view and got lost in thought." Kanda said, snapping his gaze back to the woman's, holding it this time.

"For seven hours?" Allen couldn't see the woman's face, but her voice said she didn't believe him.

"Yes. I don't know how, so don't even ask, but yes." he once again flushed with embarrassment, but he held her gaze.

The woman stayed silent as they stared each other down, finally sighing as she seemingly accepted his answer. "Fine. But you can forget about having Mugen this weekend." she said, walking away.

"What?! You barely let me have it as it is!" Kanda protested, walking after the woman.

"Well, you should've thought about that! This isn't the first time you just 'lose track of time'! You want your Mugen? Get your shit straight!" she said, slamming the door shut, effectively ending the conversation.

Kanda sighed, returning to the edge of the dock, for the first time noticing the odd rippling of the water by the rock. He moved to the side trying to get a better view, meeting Allen's gaze long enough to realize there was someone there.

'Shit! He saw me!' was all Allen could think as he quickly ducked back behind the rock, hoping that maybe the human wouldn't try to make him come out or something. Well, he'd never been that lucky.

"Hey, you!"

'No such luck, huh?' Allen thought, sighing as he allowed himself to sink into the water further, wondering in a somewhat dull fashion just how screwed he really was.

"Come out! I saw you; don't try to hide!" Kanda hollered out, the boom of his voice making Allen flinch.

He peeked his head out again, looking at Kanda shyly, flinching as he was met with a powerful glare from the human.

"Out. NOW." he ground out, motioning with his finger for Allen to go to him.

Allen shook his head rapidly, not having the courage to speak, fearing what might happen if he lost control of it.

"What? What do you mean no? Get over here, dumbass! Shouldn't you be in school, kid?" Kanda said, effectively pissing Allen off.

"Me? What about you?" he said, pushing himself up so he half sat, half lay on the rock, making sure his tail couldn't be seen from above the water. Turning to look at Kanda, he crossed his arms over the top of the rock, returning Kanda's glare heartily.

Kanda blushed slightly at Allen's comment, knowing the boy had probably heard the earlier conversation. "That's none of your business, kid. Get over here, now." He said, trying to recover whatever scraps of his dignity he could.

Remembering why they were talking at all, Allen instantly shrunk back in the water, once again nervous.

"No! Why do you want me out so bad anyway?" he said, peeking out at Kanda again.

"Why do you want to stay in the water?" Kanda countered.

The answer was too easy for Allen. "I like the water, is that so bad?" he said, hoping that he'd leave it at that.

Thankfully, the woman's voice came from an open window, calling out, "Oi, ponytail! I know you have homework; get your ass in here and start studying!"

The split second Kanda turned around was more than enough for Allen to dive down into the water and make a mad dash for the dock, diving to hide under it. He could hear a conversation above him, muffled by the water, no longer shouts of disdain from either Kanda or the strange woman who'd shown up upset. He watched carefully as the two figures walked about on the dock, and took great care not to move too much lest he be noticed. After ten agonizing minutes in which he could tell the human was looking for him, he finally saw him move away from the edge and walk towards his home. Allen let out a deep sigh of relief, letting himself relax as he prepared to swim back to the city. Apparently, the split second he was relaxed was also more than enough for the human, for it was in that instant that Allen felt a warm hand close around his arm, pulling him up and out of the water. He didn't even have enough time to cry out as he was lifted out of the water and onto the dock, into the sun and out in plain view.

"What the hell...?"

Allen kept his eyes fixed on the wood of the dock. What else could he do? There was no way he was going to be able to explain what he was, no way the human would believe him.

"Oi... are you serious?" Kanda asked. When Allen didn't respond, nor even glance up at him, Kanda grabbed his chin and forced his face up, earning a growl from the boy.

"Answer me, you. What the hell is this?" Kanda demanded.

"What's it look like, idiot?" was Allen's response, finally looking up to lock eyes with him.

Kanda was left in a state of dazed shock, mainly an effect of looking so deeply into Allen's shockingly bright silver eyes, so it took him a good minute to work out exactly what it was that Allen was insinuating.

"Wait a minute, you don't actually expect me to believe that this..." Kanda said, trailing off as he took a more careful look at Allen's tail.

"Yes, why do you think I didn't want to come out? The water is cold, you know." Allen said, watching with interest as Kanda stared at his fins with the open curiosity of a child.

"It's real?" Kanda said quietly, poking one of his side fins and marveling at how it twitched and shied away from him, then looking up at Allen as he let out a small giggle at the contact.

"You believe me?" Allen said. He wasn't ignorant; he knew there were substances and disguises that humans could use to mimic his appearance.

"No human could bend their legs in that angle." Kanda said, gesturing at the manner in which Allen's tail curved towards his front rather than bend and curve behind him. "Or have their legs be that slim..."

Allen watched as Kanda sated his curiosity of him, poking and fondling and caressing his tail whichever way he chose, not once objecting. It felt nice, to have him touch him in such a manner, and aside from warning him against a specific area, he wasn't in any way ashamed of letting the human touch him.

They both lost track of time very quickly, Allen in watching Kanda, and Kanda in observing Allen's tail. It wasn't until the sun started to set that Allen remembered where he'd been expected at that day.

"Shit... No, damn it, how could I forget?!" Allen hissed out, his tail snapping back suddenly, twitching in what Kanda recognized to be fear.

"Forget what?" Kanda asked carefully. He didn't want the boy to leave just yet, but at the same time he felt it was about time he went back to the ocean.

"I was supposed to be at the castle two hours ago... Damn, she's going to kill me...!" Allen said, rambling on about some "meeting", his tail twitching more and more the more agitated the boy became.

"She can't be that terrible..." Kanda said, instantly snapping Allen out of his rambling.

"She is. Believe me, she is... no one ever dares defy her, if they do... what will I tell her?" Allen said, once again trailing off into another ramble.

"Why don't you leave then, if you're so afraid of her?" Kanda asked.

Allen shook his head. "I can't, I've tried before... she always finds me. Last time I tried to leave, she banished me from the kingdom. I'm only allowed in for those meetings... I have to go..."

Kanda watched him as he thought of how to get out of any more trouble. "Will you be alright?" he asked.

Allen looked at him. "Yes... I suppose so. It's not like she can do anything worse to me anyway..." sighing, Allen flipped his tail against the dock, launching himself back into the water, coming back up to talk again to Kanda.

"Sorry about earlier... You could sense me, I know... I didn't mean to distract you for so long." he said.

Kanda chuckled. "It's alright... I've done worse, at any rate." he watched him for a moment, pondering whether or not to ask, but ended up asking anyway when the boy made a move to dive back under. "What's your name?"

Allen looked at him, surprised, before he too chuckled, answering. "Allen. It's Allen. And you're Kanda, right?"

"Yeah... hey, listen, come back if you can, ok?" Kanda said, flushing ever so slightly.

Once again, Allen seemed surprised. Then, he smiled, and Kanda's blush intensified. "Ok... I will. Until next time, then." he said.

"Yeah... See you then..." Kanda said, watching as he dove and swam away, the flash of his scales dimming the further away and down he went. He stood, watching as the sun set, mind blissfully blank, until one single thought shattered his inner peace and composture. 'He was beautiful...'

* * *

So, here's the new and improved (I hope) version of chapter one. I know I took forever, I'm terrible ... Let me know what you guys think!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next few days after Kanda met Allen were, in a word, odd. The daze he'd always found himself in every time he looked out at the sea was gone, confirming it was because of the boy's presence. However, that daze had been replaced with constant daydreaming, so constant it was starting to irritate both his caretakers. He didn't notice though, obviously. He was too busy thinking of his aquatic friend. It didn't help that he came back every other day.

Kanda didn't particularly care, though. In fact, the only time he could focus was when the boy was there, so he more or less welcomed the change in his routine. Kanda would sit on the dock and work on whatever it was he needed to do whilst Allen floated on the surface, enjoying every second he spent out on the sun, making idle chatter with Kanda while he got his homework done.

Allen had come back the next day after their first meeting with a nasty bruise on his cheek. Kanda had to pry a little to get the boy to tell him how he got it, and when he did, he ended up explaining his whole back history, who and what he was, who his mother was and why he was hated. Kanda had been shocked to hear he was a prince, and even more shocked to hear he was hated only because of his gender. As it turned out to be, his species was predominately female, having a 10:1 ratio of female to male births, a result of some curse that a scornful witch had cast on them millenia ago in a vain attempt to eradicate them. Because of this curse, and the simple fact that before him, his bloodline had never seen a first born male, his kind ended up viewing males as inferior. Needless to say, Kanda was shocked to hear this.

After that conversation was out of the way, Kanda and Allen only got closer. It didn't take long for them to feel that the two hours they got alone was simply not enough time. Kanda started to develop the idea that maybe the boy didn't have to go back; if he wasn't supposed to even be near human settlements, who would think to look for him there? But he kept this to himself, watching as Allen left time and time again, noticing how sometimes he showed up with bruises, sometimes with cuts, and how sometimes he just lay on the dock in what he knew was pain. He never told him why or where he got them either, no matter how many times Kanda asked him.

Kanda glanced at the boy, who was laying next to him, his tail hanging off the edge of the dock, dipping into the water. He hadn't said much to him, and neither had Kanda tried to make much conversation. It was one of those days where both were just lost in thought. It had already been a month since they first met, and both had grown alarmingly comfortable with their routine. Not that they minded, anyway. Allen had been going to their house near every day before he'd been discovered, and now that Kanda knew he existed, that hadn't changed much. In fact, Kanda would become worried if the boy didn't show up, like how he almost didn't today. Kanda had been meditating on the dock, hoping to clear his mind of some disturbing thoughts he'd developed in the past few days when the boy had arrived, launching himself out of the water and sliding to a stop next to him, startling Kanda half to death. When questioned about what had happened to him, for he had several nasty looking bruises and even a few concerning cuts, Allen merely flipped himself on the dock to lay in the position he was currently in. Once again, Kanda suspected that there was damage to his tail as well, but the boy wouldn't say. The only indicator that there was anything wrong with it was the constant twitch he had and the one fin that wouldn't open all the way.

Allen sighed, breaking the thick silence that had enveloped them for the past hour, finally shifting his position. "I don't want to go back..." he muttered.

Kanda stared for a moment, slightly surprised. "Allen... What happened?" he asked.

Allen looked at him, holding his gaze before finally answering. "I got in a fight with the high priestess..." he said.

Kanda frowned. "What about all those times you came with bruises and cuts? Was that her, too?" he asked.

Allen nodded, dropping his head back onto the dock.

"What did she do to your tail, then?" Kanda asked, surprising Allen.

"I don't know... she was trying to keep me from leaving I think, but I honestly have no idea what she did to it... it just hurts like hell." he said.

"Don't you have anywhere to go where she won't find you?" Kanda asked.

"Aside from here? Atlantis, maybe. I'm pretty sure she doesn't know I know where it is..." Allen muttered.

Kanda stared at him, mouth agape. "Atlantis? As in the lost, sunken city of Atlantis?" he said.

Allen nodded slowly. "Yeah... I don't know where it is exactly, but I do know how to get there." he said.

Kanda stared for a moment, still in shock at hearing about the lost city. "Well... are you sure she won't find you there?" he asked.

Allen chuckled dryly. "No... the only place for sure that she won't search is here..." he mumbled into the wooden deck.

Kanda thought for a moment, debating whether or not to speak his mind. One look at Allen and his twitching tail, however, made up his mind for him. "Why don't you just spend the night here then?" he said.

The suggestion startled Allen. Spend the night with Kanda? "What... but, what about that woman from before? Won't she see me?" he said, a bit self-conscious now.

Kanda snorted. "If they haven't already seen you, and even then, I sincerely doubt they'd mind." he said.

Allen frowned. "They?"

"Yeah... her and her fiancee, Lavi. Did you forget he lives here too?" Kanda said, grinning.

Allen smiled, sheepish. "Yeah, kind of... I don't exactly hear from him a lot, you know. It's usually just that lady yelling at you to go back inside." he said.

"So what do you say? I mean, if this is the only place for sure she won't find you, just stay, at least until you're well." Kanda asked. He'd never admit it out loud, but the idea of Allen spending the night with him excited him more than he was willing to admit.

Allen thought about it for a few minutes. He wanted to, he did, but at the same time he was reluctant to accept. Kanda was human, he was not. Kanda had a family, while he himself had a... master, more or less, for a mother. He was a prisoner in his own house, and hated all throughout the sea. If he stayed with Kanda, he could put him in danger, but at the same time, who would think to look for him on land, in a human home? There were so many things that he could think of, so many reasons not to stay with Kanda, but only one reason why it was okay to stay and trust him completely, and that one positive reason outweighed all the negatives he could come up with: he'd be safe.

He slowly turned to look at Kanda, smiling shyly. He nodded, consenting to the suggestion. "Alright... I'll stay. But just for the night." he said.

Kanda allowed a small smile to show itself on his face. "Or until you're well." he agreed, moving to stand.

From the curtains of one of the living room windows that overlooked the dock, a gray eye could be seen peeking out at them, watching as Kanda picked Allen up from the dock. It continued to watch them until they disappeared around the corner of the house, headed for the back door.

* * *

After that, Allen started to spend more and more time with Kanda, both on the dock and in his room. Their conversations started to become more and more intimate the closer they became, though they did avoid a few certain topics that they both silently deemed too intimate to casually talk about, such as sex, for instance.

The first night Allen had spent with Kanda had been both exciting and awkward for the both of them, neither knowing just how to go about actually sleeping. After some questioning glances and some hilarious moments of silence in which both had a surprisingly effective silent conversation, they decided to just play it by ear and just curl up together in Kanda's bed. When morning came, they were both surprised to find that they had shifted significantly throughout the night, going from next to the window curled up facing each other to the other side of the bed, Kanda on his back and Allen essentially on top of him, using his shoulder as a pillow. Neither was embarrassed, however, and even opted to stay in bed a while longer, enjoying each others' company. Kanda found he couldn't really be surprised when Lavi didn't come bother him that morning as he usually did whenever he tried actually sleeping in, having expected that already. Instead, he decided to bask in the warmth the boy provided as he observed his sleepy expression.

Allen stayed with him for another day, going back to the ocean after the sun set, happy for once. School had just ended the week before, so Kanda didn't have to worry about leaving Allen for eight hours during the working week, so for the next several days, while his "babysitters" were gone, they went around to several hidden fountains near his home, simply lounging around, Kanda joining him in the water now and then.

Allen had begun to ask Kanda of how life was for humans, and in turn, explained any questions Kanda had about his kind. While Allen finally understood the concept of a working week, Kanda found there were some similarities between humans and mermaids, or merman in Allen's case. How they measured time was one of those things, though of course not the same. Other things they both found to be strange, such as relationships. Allen didn't quite understand why people spent so much time with just one partner, while Kanda couldn't quite grasp how Allen's kind was so fond of passing around partners. Yes, there weren't very many males, but homosexuality obviously wasn't uncommon for them, or so Allen had said. Why leave one partner if you were happy with them?

Other minor details were compared as they thought of them, Kanda demonstrating when he could, and Allen describing from his limited experiences in his kinds' main city, though they didn't really bother with the smaller details. Memories were shared and made as they developed a bond, strengthening the connection to one another the more time they spent together. It was quickly becoming evident to the both of them they were developing more than friendly emotions to one another, but both were too scared of ruining what they had to say or do anything about it. Instead, they contented themselves with simply being with the other, though more often than not, this was simply not enough.

* * *

Kanda was set to begin his last year of school in just a few days. The summer break had been heaven for the both of them, so naturally time had flown by. Allen was especially nervous about this, for one main reason, and Kanda had noticed. Kanda would leave for eight hours, leaving Allen with no reason for staying away from his kind. Kanda understood.

He'd suggested a few things to Allen when the creature finally voiced his concerns, but he would have none of it. He'd run away from his "responsibilities" long enough; it was time he turned and faced the music. Kanda tried to remind him it could very well kill him, but the merman didn't seem to listen to that tidbit. Though he didn't want to worry Kanda, he really had no choice but to go back. His mother had become increasingly attentive of his movements and it was becoming increasingly difficult to make it back to Kanda without her realizing where he was going. He knew Kanda would be upset at him for keeping it from him, but if he didn't know then he wouldn't get hurt... right?  
Those last few days went by much too fast for their liking, and it wasn't long before they found themselves on the dock watching as the sun set on that last day before Kanda had to go back to school. Neither had said much in the last hour; they were both too deep in thought to. Kanda kept wondering how Allen would fare during his absence, while Allen kept wondering how he would convince his mother that he was elsewhere rather than at a human dwelling. Neither were coming up with many answers.

It was only when the sun was about to disappear that Kanda was pulled out of his thoughts, again by one of the things that had caught his attention from the start. He couldn't help but turn his head to watch as the sunlight lit up Allen's scales a beautiful fiery orange, contrasting in a very captivating way against the pale silver of the rest of his tail, his pale skin tinted a darker shade by the dying sun. He wondered every time he saw him how it was that he could captivate him so easily when there were women who were much more slender and tender and all around finer than him, but every time the question would answer itself. It wasn't his features that attracted him, though yes, that was part of it. Allen himself was captivating, and not just because of his appearance. Everything about him ignited his curiosity in such a way that Kanda could spend days just watching him and not get tired. It was then that Allen turned to look at him, and although normally the sunlight in his eyes made him dive deeper into his musings, the sad look in them forced him back to reality.

"Hey... what's wrong, moyashi?" Kanda asked, instantly concerned.

Allen sighed. "I thought I could keep it from you, but... I keep thinking myself into circles with this..." he said trailing off.

Kanda frowned. "Keep what?"

Allen looked to the side, mumbling out his response. "The high priestess has... begun to notice where I disappear to... and it's become difficult to appease her."

Kanda was silent for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me any earlier?" he asked.

Again Allen sighed. "Because I didn't want to worry you... but, I'm scared..." he said, turning his mercury eyes back to Kanda, effectively captivating him once again. "You were right, you know... she could very well kill me, if she found out..."

Again Kanda was silent for a moment, this time for a completely different reason. "But why tell me now?" he asked.

Allen smiled. "Because I've become too invested in you to just leave and not tell you. I know if I go back now, I may very well not return, and I couldn't just leave you with no explanation as to why." he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice in spite of the warmth in his eyes.

Kanda swallowed thickly, not sure how to respond to that. They stared at each other for a moment, both caught in the others' gaze, wanting to say something, do something, but neither had the strength to.

Finally, as the sun set, Kanda moved to speak, though another voice drowned out whatever it was he wanted to tell Allen, startling both of them out of their stupor.

"YUU! GET INSIDE ALREADY, YOU HAVE SCHOOL TOMORROW!" came a woman's voice from somewhere in the house.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kanda yelled back, frustrated. He turned to look back at Allen, who looked sad but determined.

"So... see you later, I guess?" Allen said, somewhat shyly.

Kanda nodded. "Yeah... see you later..." he responded, watching Allen dive back into the sea and swim away, as he always did, before getting up to go inside himself. School was going to be hell... again.

* * *

Allen swam as fast as he could, though not away from the city as usual, but towards it. The further away he was from Kanda and his home, the safer he'd be, the less the risk of discovery. It wasn't a well known fact, but Allen was a strong swimmer. He could swim faster than the best messenger his mother had, though she didn't know it... or so he hoped.

He wasn't swimming for long when he felt it. The sting of his mother's magic. Yes, it had been a while, but he had not forgotten how it felt. He hadn't been so close to the city in a long time, after all. He instantly stopped swimming in favor of fighting off the effects of his mothers' spell, dropping down to the ocean floor quite quickly. It wouldn't take them long to get to him, he knew, but the pain was enough for him to not really care about that fact. It had been a while since she'd used her magic on him, and even longer since she actually tried to kill him. So long in fact, that he'd almost forgotten how to fight it off, even when the reminder was on his face for all to see.

Allen cursed under his breath, writhing on the floor as he quickly started to mutter the counter spell, curling into himself as his chest began to burn. He barely managed to finish the spell when he saw them coming towards him, though by the time they got to him, the spell had settled nicely and he'd blacked out from the pain. The guards that had rushed to his location cursed, but did their job anyway, picking up the unconscious prince rather gracelessly and dragging him off to the city, where he would be questioned by the high priestess.

Several hours later, Allen awoke in what was apparently a lush and well adorned room, but was by all rights a prison cell. Though he has been banished from his mother's kingdom, he is still their prince and is to be treated as such, after all, or so said his mother, going on about some nonsense regarding correct image. He quickly took inventory of what was in the room, taking note of anything he might use to his advantage. Sadly, there wasn't much, but that was to be expected. His mother was very attentive of smaller details and so had easily picked up on Allen's less than noticeable abilities. He had expected she would. One glance to the small window up above him and he knew he'd been unconscious all through the night. That was nice, at least, and rather unexpected, though again it made sense to let a prince sleep the night away, if anything for appearances' sake. If he had to guess, he'd say the sun was barely rising, so he should expect a visit any time now.

Just as expected, there was a loud bang as the guards were tossed aside, no doubt by his mother as she passed by, furious as she made her way to her son.

'Just in time, as always.' he couldn't help but think scornfully, moving to present himself as she'd always demanded, barely managing to ignore the pain of the freshly subdued curse.

"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" said his mother, circling him in a rather disturbing manner, eyeing him distastefully.

"So you think you can just come back after disappearing like that? Making me look like a fool in front of my allies?" she began, and Allen had to suppress an unbidden shudder. This conversation was going to be painful, he knew, and nowhere near short.

He prepared himself mentally, for if he were to take everything into account, he'd be able to safely say he would not get out of this one intact, if the pulsing of the high priestess' magic was anything to go by. She readied herself for the "interrogation", and with a wave of near unbearable heat, it began. For the next several hours she tortured him, incessantly, and with increasing intensity. She tried every which way she could possibly think of to get out of him just how he'd managed to avoid her for so long, to no avail. No pain she could put him through would get him to say he'd been with a human he had quickly grown to want in more than one way, for no physical pain could compare to the destruction he would put himself through should he become unable to ever see Kanda again. It was this thought that helped him endure the pain of his mother's attacks, the idea that he might be able to once again bask in his warmth that gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, there was an end in sight. He had to be resilient, however.

She left him in the evening, needing rest herself, though not nearly as much as Allen himself after all she put him through. Allen had collapsed on the bed the very moment the curtain separating him from the rest of the kingdom settled behind the high priestess, letting out a quiet whimper. She would be back the next day, this he knew for a fact. After this was repeated the next day, a pattern quickly developed, where she would go "question" him at the crack of dawn and wouldn't leave until late evening. There were days where she wouldn't come herself, sending one of the witches in her stead, who weren't as brutal about their attacks, but with the lack of recovery time, were just as bad. He lost count of how many days passed, how many times he passed out from the pain.

Finally, the opportunity to escape came in the form of laziness. It had been a good while now since the high priestess began her little game with him, and in spite of the horror of what she was willing to do to her own son, they had grown too accustomed with it and become tired of it. So much so that they began to slack off while on duty.

It was a day like any other, where the priestess had some business or other to attend to and had sent in one of the witches, though unbeknownst to her, the one she sent was one of the weakest ones in the city. Not because of her abilities or strength or anything of the sort, but because she was too easily swayed by opinions and peer pressure. Yes, it was true that she was still quite formidable, but against Allen, who was used to playing all kind of mind games with his mother, who was practically the queen of them, she was just short of being strong enough. The fact that his mother had sent her in today rather than another witch, when he'd been treated to a lower tier of witches the day before, told him that his mother wasn't as omnipresent and as observant as she wanted him to believe.

The routine started off as usual, with the witch asking questions and Allen giving her vague answers that really had nothing to do with the topic at hand. This particular witch he'd not seen too often, mostly because his mother had too much fun torturing him and wasn't too keen on sharing. So, having been presented such a beautiful opportunity, he decided to mess with her a bit. Starting off simple, he made a comment about how her hair was different than the other times he'd seen her. The reaction he got from her was more than satisfactory. He barely managed to play off his grin as part of a wince as she started back, blindsided by his comment. From there he progressed, until finally she became so embarrassed by his increasingly bold comments and probing questions, she actually left the room, yelling at the guards to ensure he didn't leave. The guards didn't hear this command, however, having actually been asleep on their post. Assuming it was part of a new routine, they simply went back to sleep. Allen waited, ten minutes the first time to ensure the guards were asleep, then another ten for the pain to subside enough for him to move. Once it did, he very silently and carefully left the room, passing the sleeping guards as slowly as possible so as not to disturb them, then making a mad dash for a hidden tunnel he knew was still undisturbed, a tunnel that would lead him straight to the back gardens that were always left abandoned save for the caretakers. He was in pain, so much of it, but if he didn't leave right then, if he didn't make it back, then he never would.

It was only ten minutes into his wild escape that he both heard and felt the screech he was sure belonged to the high priestess, no doubt having discovered his escape. For a fleeting moment he felt pity for those who would be punished, but upon hearing a much more intense screech come from the heart of the city, that emotion was replaced by panic and desperation as he swam as fast as he could in his condition, hoping that just maybe he was fast enough to get away, fast enough to survive.

She was getting closer, he could feel it, but so was he to that dock that had meant safety for a long time now. Even though she was catching up, he couldn't help but feel triumph as he spotted the dock. With one last burst of energy, he launched himself the last few meters left between him and that dock, flying out of the water and onto the dock, coming to rest almost at the beginning of the dock, somehow just after a rather dense bush that had flourished on the ground next to it. A quick glance at the water told him he should hide behind it, so he dragged himself the rest of the way, off the dock and right into the line of sight of a rather beautiful brunette human woman, who upon seeing him immediately dropped what she had in her hands and rushed out to him. He barely felt it when she picked him up and carried him inside the house he'd been so curious about for so long, and he didn't hear what it was she said to whoever was there in the room with her. All he knew was that he could see his mother through the window, her head barely above the water, looking around for any sign of him, angered beyond anything he'd ever known. He finally allowed himself to slip into the welcoming darkness when he saw her growl, diving back under the sea to return to her kingdom, away from him.

The last thing he knew, after he allowed himself to truly relax, was a woman's kind voice cooing to him in a way he'd never known, a cool hand caressing his head soothingly. "Rest, young prince. You have sanctuary here."

...

I have absolutely no excuse for taking so long with this... DX

Do let me know what you think of it so far though. It'd be much appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kanda was currently hating his life, and although his life wasn't exactly the best ever, he supposed it could have been a lot worse off than what it was. At the moment, the only thing he could possibly think of complaining about was the nasal voice of his homeroom teacher. He could remember a time when a person's voice was the last of his worries, the first being their intentions.

It was interesting, it really was, just how much his life had changed, how much he had changed. As a child, he would've been wary of men like his teacher, he would've tried his best to avoid him. Now, he couldn't really care less what his teacher's agenda was; if it didn't involve him more than it should, then he could go fuck off. Of course, now he had no reason to be wary. Back then, he did... it was even expected of him. Though no one ever dared say it.

Living in a foster home was never easy, even more so for him simply because of his feminine features. He knew he looked like his mother, though he didn't really remember her much. All he remembered of either of his parents was tainted by the countless memories of moving from one place to another, all throughout his early childhood. After that he didn't really know much, just being dragged by a rather heavy and brute man to a shithole of a house that was supposed to be a foster home when he was eight. The next four years after that he wished he could say he didn't remember.

It had been evident from his first day there. He was somewhat feminine and there was no hiding it. His longer hair didn't help either, but he wasn't going to cut it. Because even after it was all said and done, the one memory that always stuck out to him was the one time he had allowed his mother to brush his hair. She had commented how beautiful it was, and asked him to never cut it. He agreed, if only because he enjoyed watching her smile like that more than anything else. After he arrived at that foster home, it became something of a treasure. He kept it long because he'd promised his mother he would. He kept it long because it made her happy. He also kept it long because the "caretakers" of the foster home didn't like it and it pissed them off that they couldn't get him to cut it. After a while they stopped caring, if only because it attracted attention from the more lecherous and sleazy of patrons to their foster home.

It was on a rather rainy day that Kanda had finally had enough. So far, he had been lucky enough to not have gotten raped, but many of the old men that came by to "see" him had become too... touch-feel as of late. At that point, he was days away from his twelfth birthday. He was maturing quickly, he'd noticed, and so had they.

He had been sitting by the window in the attic, which had been his room for the past two years. It was late at night, and the sky had been promising a flood for the past few hours. It was late in a weeknight, one of the nights when he just felt in his gut, as he always did, something was going to happen. He was nervous, though why he couldn't say. Looking down to the street, he couldn't help but swallow in what was half nervousness, half fear as he saw a black car roll up to the door of the foster home. This particular car he recognized; it belonged to the one man that had decided to touch him first, the one that visited most often. He didn't know his name nor cared to, he just wanted him gone, knowing he was the reason for his anxiety that evening.

Hearing heavy steps going up the rickety, old stairs that led to his room, he couldn't help but look around quickly for any place he could hide. It was useless, he knew, but it was something he did every time someone came to pay him a visit. Hearing the steps coming up the final flight of stairs, he frantically decided trying to pretend to be asleep. It hadn't worked before, but maybe this time it would?

His door creaked open, the sound loud and ominous in the quiet of his room. The heavy steps came up to his bed slowly, the man a tall, wide and imposing shape he could vaguely see through the covers. A low throaty chuckle rang out, and he gulped, bracing himself for the hand he knew was coming. Sure enough, the man reached down and ripped the covers off him, laughing openly at him.

"Didn't think that would actually work, did you?" the man said, making the youth shiver in fear of what was to come.

He knew better than to struggle against this particular man, but there was something in his grip, something about the way he leered at him that made him panic. It wasn't until the man started trying to undress him that he realized what it was: finality. He was going to do it tonight. No trying to coax him this time, no; he was getting what he wanted tonight.

He kicked and bit and screamed at him, trying his best to get him off of him, to no avail. He could struggle all he wanted, but it wouldn't change the fact that he was nothing more than a scrawny boy in front of a fully grown man hell bent on getting his way. Looking out the window as his panic reached its peak, he noticed a light flashing past in the night sky, through one of the breaks in the clouds. A shooting star. In a last desperate attempt, he made a wish, even though it had never worked before, he wished on that shooting star, hoping wildly for something, anything, to help him.

That was when he heard a loud creak above his head. The man stopped for a moment, but began again when nothing happened. Just as he went to touch him, though, the creak rang out again, this time louder than before. Now the man was alarmed, and looking around for the source of the sound, though he hadn't let him go yet. He would soon, however, as another creak was heard, quickly followed by a crack. The next few moments were a blur to Kanda, though he did manage to make out a few major facts, one being that the roof had caved in, another being... it had fallen right on top of the man, somehow missing him entirely. He didn't stay to find out if the man was even alive; he made a mad dash down the stairs and out the door, running wildly away from the foster home, not caring about where he was going. All he knew was that he was out and that the skies had finally opened up to let out the downpour, rain coming down heavily, easily hiding him from view as he ran further away. He ran until the rain finally stopped, and when it did, he walked, following the only road he could, which took him to a rather beautiful cliff, looking out at the ocean. He wandered for a bit, somehow finding his way down to where the ocean met sand in a small secluded beach. Once there, he sat down, watching as the sun rose over the horizon. A sense of peace he hadn't felt in years washed over him, and he knew he would be alright now.

It was then that he was found by a rather peculiar woman, who had also been wandering the cliffs, but upon seeing him, had immediately started fussing over him, going into complete mother hen mode. Her enthusiasm scared him, and she noticed, immediately backing away some, visibly reigning herself in. She introduced herself as Katsura, explaining that she lived in a house not too far from where they were. She asked him his name, and with some gentle probing, he finally gave it. Kanda Yuu, orphan of almost, no- twelve today, if the date was correct, and the woman confirmed the date, yes... twelve on that day. Orphan of twelve years of age and now homeless, or so he hoped. She probed some more, asking the why's and when's, and upon getting those, the how's. When she finally had his full story, the woman seemed to become a living statue. He called out to her after five minutes passed with no movement from her. At his call, she seemed to reanimate, mechanically pulling out her phone and dialing, having a short conversation with someone named Lavi, extending her hand out to him upon hanging up, firmly declaring that she was going to fix his situation, and if that wasn't possible, that she was going to... er, "fix" those people.

She took him back to her house, where she fed him and cleaned him up as best she could. She then led him to a room in the second floor, telling him to take a nice, long, and most importantly, HOT bath while she went to get him new clothes. She shouldn't be gone for too long, she said, and maybe the bathrobe hanging in the bathroom closet would be a tad big on him, but she couldn't let him wander any longer in the tattered old rags he had been forced to wear.

Everything after that was a bit blurry, much like his escape. After his bath, he put on the robe Katsura had pointed out and lay on the bed, falling into a light slumber, easily awakened by the sound of the front door closing. She got him clothes, as promised, and in his proper size too. She stayed on her phone almost constantly once she'd made sure the clothes fit properly, even as she somehow convinced him to come with her back to the foster home, and the whole ride back. Upon arriving, the phone calls abruptly ended. Storming her way in, him in tow, she more than startled the owners of the place as she demanded they let her adopt him. They were shocked, but not nearly as much as him, for it was the first time he'd heard of her plan. They argued with her that it wouldn't work out for her, being single and whatnot, and listed a plethora of reasons why he was the worst to adopt. She argued back, getting progressively more and more angry, until they were interrupted, the door bursting open again to reveal bright red hair that hurt his eyes and an equally bright and annoying smile. The man was quickly introduced as the Lavi that the woman had been on the phone with for so long, and he added that he was her partner in crime. At this, the owners retreated, letting them sign all the correct forms for the adoption. They all knew there was more to it than that, but the owners didn't even try arguing this point. Katsura knew they'd been allowing some pretty illegal activities in their foster home, and they knew she knew. With all the right documents filled out and turned in, Katsura turned to him and asked if there was anything he wanted to leave with. He nodded his head, but was reluctant in going back to his room alone. Lavi suggested she go with him; he would stay in the lobby and ask the owners a few questions.

After going up to retrieve the heirloom his mother had left him with, they finally left the foster home, Lavi with one last reminder of what would happen should the adoption papers mysteriously vanish. Katsura and Lavi gave him a warm smile, declaring he was now free of that place, and could have a real home, with them. The room Katsura had taken him to that morning would be his, and he could personalize it all he wanted, after a bit of shopping for new clothes, of course. All this washed over him, warming his cold insides slowly but surely. He let a small smile show. He was free.

* * *

That first week truly was hell for Kanda, more so because Allen hadn't come back and he couldn't quite hide that he was worried sick. All his teachers had decided to give them homework on wednesday, thursday and friday, making it even worse for him, for with every day that passed with no Allen showing up, his worry grew, though he somehow managed to complete his work. He passed the first three weeks of Allen's absence like this before he finally managed to get a hold of himself and continue with his life... somewhat. When one month turned into two, Kanda only grew more concerned, though he knew it wouldn't do him any good, nor would he be able to help Allen if he really was in any trouble. Finally, it was in the third month of his absence that things changed.

It was saturday, which for Kanda meant training with his sword Mugen, his precious heirloom and pride. It was early afternoon, the sun not quite beginning to set, when he wrapped up his session and began the trek back home, from a cave not too far from the beach Katsura had found him in. Upon nearing his home, he couldn't help but feel something was wrong. Katsura's car was still there, as it had been that morning, but so was Lavi's, which was somewhat unusual, but not so rare...

Walking in from the rear door, he headed towards the kitchen, again feeling that he was missing something important. His confusion was cleared soon, for the moment he moved to get himself some water, Katsura ran out of the dojo in their basement, looking around in what he recognized to be panic. Finally noticing him, she screeched something at him that he honestly couldn't begin to hope to understand, which she seemed to realize, for in the next moment, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him off towards the basement where she, and apparently Lavi, had been for a while.

Looking around the mess that used to be the dojo, Kanda couldn't help but notice all the herbs that where decorating the floor in strange patterns, though purposefully so. Looking closer, he realized they were all healing herbs, some of which, if not all, Lavi was taking and mashing together in a rather pungent-smelling paste. Mixing and mashing and adding and more mashing, only to take it and apply it onto an unconscious person on the floor, beginning again with the mixing and mashing... wait. Person?

Kanda looked closer at the unconscious person on the floor, his heart racing as he traced a jaw that he'd dreamed and fantasized about, silver hair that he'd longed to run his fingers through. He once again traced the lines of that tantalizing body, following them down from that creamy collarbone, to the lean muscle on his abdomen, to that silvery tail... that was twitching constantly in pain.

"What's wrong with him?" Kanda said, breaking the suffocating silence in the room and effectively giving his caretakers a heart attack.

"Kanda, for the love of all that's holy, don't do that!" Lavi said shakily, setting down the mortar and pestle.

Katsura sighed. "We don't know. I found him hiding behind one of the bushes by the dock, already like this... we've been at this for a good hour already, but nothing works. Whatever he was running from didn't want him surviving this..."

Kanda cursed. "_His fucking mother..."_ he said, forgetting english in his worry-induced anger.

Lavi and Katsura both looked at him in shock. "WHAT? His mother... did this to him?" they seemed more than a little shocked at this, naturally. In spite of having seen them talking often, they'd never known what it was they talked about, so they had no idea Allen's life was so miserable.

Kanda nodded, moving to kneel next to Allen, slowly beginning to cart his fingers through his silvery locks. "He's dehydrated." Kanda noted after a few moments of silence.

"I know... we tried to move him, but every time we did, he started thrashing about, so we left him here... it's the coolest room in the house, so..." Katsura said.

Kanda looked at Katsura and Lavi out of the corner of his eyes, beginning to grin. He'd suspected they'd known about Allen, but how much did they truly know about him?

Turning fully to the twitching mass that was Allen, Kanda swept down and grabbed the boy, standing up and turning around in one smooth movement. The surprised look on their faces was well worth the embarrassment he was sure to face later.

He took Allen up and out of the basement, then out the back door to one of their favorite groves to go to. It was fairly close to the house, so it didn't take him any longer than five minutes to get there. He'd managed to convince the dynamic duo he could handle it from there; the herbs wouldn't work anyway, though they had helped soothe Allen.

He carefully laid the boy on the edge of the pool that hid there, letting his tail dip into the water as he stripped himself down to his underwear. Sliding into the shallow end of the pool, he once again picked the boy up, taking care not to move him too much, and slowly let himself sink in, until they were both seated comfortably against what could be called a small bank or step in the pool, with only their heads above the water. Kanda shifted Allen some so he was laying on him across his torso, head resting on his shoulder. He'd be there for a good while before the water worked its magic and began to heal the boy, so he decided on meditation in the meantime.

This particular hideaway he'd discovered when he was fifteen. Immediately liking the spot, it was his favorite place to go when he wanted or needed to meditate. Although his home had a dojo, he didn't actually use it as much as his guardians. He himself preferred nature over a man-made structure, this was no secret, so it was no surprise that he spent the majority of his day outside at the small beach near home or in one of his caves, or even the woods that covered the large plot of land Katsura called her own. After finding out about Allen, he'd only barely been able to hide his eagerness at showing him this particular spot. It didn't take them long after that to find out the water in the grove had healing properties, so after Allen told Kanda of exactly who it was that gave him such nasty bruises, they developed the habit of visiting the place rather often.

Thinking of the day he'd first taken him to the grove they were in now made Kanda think of all the other places he'd shown Allen, which in turn made Kanda's mind wander to many other topics, and so, for the first time in what felt like forever, the boy's presence made Kanda lose track of time as he easily lost himself to his musings. It was only several hours later, when he felt the boy stirring on his lap, long after the sun had set and the moon risen, that Kanda was roused from his stupor. He looked down at Allen, his heart once again ablaze with emotions, watching as his eyes fluttered open, unfocused and confused, then warm and happy, but still confused, as he was finally able to process where he was and with who.

"Kanda...? What... happened?" Allen asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he slowly began to shift his body around to a more upright position.

Kanda couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up at the boy's expression. The confusion and exhaustion made for a pretty cute image, he thought. "We'd like to know that as well, you know. All I know is I arrived back from my practice to Katsura freaking out because neither she nor Lavi could heal any of your wounds." he said.

This only confused him more. "Your... guardians? They found me?" he asked.

Kanda nodded. "Katsura said she found you hiding behind that bush that's by the dock, in front of the back door. Allen..." he paused, hesitating. He wondered if maybe it was too early for that question.

Allen answered anyway, knowing what his unspoken question was. Shifting to grip Kanda tighter, Allen buried his face in Kanda's neck, letting silent tears of rage and sorrow and fright fall from his eyes. "She tried to kill me... again... she tried the curse again and when that didn't work, she-she..." he said, his sobbing growing with each word he let out.

Kanda rubbed the boy's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner, calm and collected on the outside, though inside his mind was reeling. "What do you mean, she tried to kill you again?" he asked quietly.

Allen calmed his sobbing long enough to sit up and point to the scar on his face. "T-this scar... I got it when I was twelve and tried to run away for the first time. She'd tried to k-kill me by cursing me, with what, I don't know. I managed to fight it off, ending up with this scar as proof of the curse I'd overcome." he explained.

Kanda couldn't help but feel a bit silly for forgetting the boy had such a scar in the first place; he was always staring at his eyes, so how he could overlook it even he couldn't comprehend. It wasn't small by any means. If he were to guess, he would say it was made purposefully large. Starting on his forehead, above his left eye, was an upside-down pentacle. From the point at the bottom extended a line that became jagged after it passed his eye and reached his cheek. It wasn't hideous, on the contrary, it was a very clean looking depression on his face, so it could almost be seen as a tattoo of some sort. To Kanda, however... it only made the boy on his lap all the more exotic and he had trouble subduing his suddenly overactive libido.

"So the wound on your chest is...?" Kanda asked, again softly so as not to further agitate the already upset boy.

Allen nodded. "The result of another curse... overcome." he whispered.

They lay there for a few moments longer, Kanda waiting for Allen to calm down further, and Allen merely lost in memories. It was only when he noticed the moonlight shining at the entrance of the small cave that he realized just how late it was.

"Kanda... how long have you been here?" Allen asked, somewhat alarmed.

"A few hours... Why?" Kanda hummed into Allen's ear.

Allen shook his head at what was obviously a distraction. "How long is a few hours?" he insisted.

Kanda sighed, answering reluctantly. "When the sun was still up..." he muttered.

"... That is easily at least five hours ago... You... stayed the entire time?" Allen said, incredulous.

Kanda snorted. "Of course. I wasn't about to just dump you in and leave." he said.

Allen said nothing at that, not that he could have even if he'd wanted to. It was the second time since meeting Kanda that he feared loosing control of his voice should he decide to speak, so he said nothing, choosing instead to flick his tail in a nervous and embarrassed manner.

Kanda, noticing Allen was no longer in any pain, decided it was finally safe to bring Allen back to the house. "Is there any pain anywhere?" he asked Allen. At the shake of his head, Kanda nodded, pleased, and began to rise out of the water, letting Allen lounge near the edge of the pool once again as he pulled himself out of the water.

Now, Allen had gone swimming with Kanda before, so he wasn't a stranger to Kanda's form. Watching Kanda come out of the pool to reveal he was in his underwear, though, left him in a bit of a dilemma.

"U-um... Kanda? A-are you going to... I mean, your clothes..." Allen said, flushing slightly, unsure of how to word his concern.

Kanda frowned, looking at him confused, until it clicked in his mind what it was that he was trying to convey. "Ah... I hadn't thought about that..." he muttered, looking sheepishly at his soaked underwear. Thinking for a moment, he slowly got up and walked over to where he'd put his clothes. Picking up his pants, which were more like a hakama than actual pants, he shrugged, saying, "Fuck it. Why not?"

Allen's eyes widened as he watched, face turning a deep crimson before he hid his face in his arms, taking a deep, shaky breath at the sight that had just graced his vision. "What are you DOING?!" he practically squealed before diving hastily back into the pool, ignoring the pulling of his muscles as he did so.

Even at the bottom of the pool he could see Kanda's outline, though hazy, and could tell he was grinning from ear to ear. He waited until he saw his outline moving around, watching carefully for the pair of pants that would hide the other boy's dignity. Once he had them on, he slowly allowed himself to float up to the surface, peeking over the edge just in time to see Kanda put on his shirt. Kanda, noticing Allen had resurfaced, grinned again.

"Are you shy, moyashi?" he said, voice dripping with amusement.

Allen frowned, though to Kanda it looked like a pout. "Are you an exhibitionist? And what does that mean anyway?" he said.

Kanda raised an eyebrow. "What, moyashi? It means beansprout, and no, I'm not an exhibitionist, though that's hilarious coming from you." he said.

Allen frowned, not sure what to respond to first, even as the words flew out of his mouth before he could stop it. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, jabbing a finger in Kanda's direction. "I have no need for clothes; you do." he said.

Kanda snickered. "Exactly. So who's the real exhibitionist here?" he said.

"I'm not the one that'd be flashing my parts to the world if I decide to skip out on wearing clothes." Allen scoffed, pulling himself out of the pool once again.

He knew he'd won the argument when Kanda looked away, face flushing red with embarrassment. Allen grinned, turning to look at the mouth of the cave and sobering instantly when he remembered why he was there in the first place.

Silence enveloped them as they sat, or lay in Allen's case, next to each other, both deep in thought.

"Kanda... What's going to happen to me now? I can't go back; she'll kill me for sure." Allen said, breaking the suffocating silence.

Kanda sighed, thinking for a moment before responding. "Well, I wasn't going to let you go back anyway; I mean, it's been how many months? And considering the state you were in when you got back..." he turned to look at him, tracing with his eyes the outline of the bruises that had been there mere hours before. Shaking his head, he continued. "Anyway, Lavi and Katsura already knew about you, so that's no problem."

Allen still seemed unsure, so Kanda decided to clarify. "You're staying with me, idiot. There's no way I'm letting you go back to that." he said, drawing a blush from the boy, though why he couldn't say.

Kanda got up, tossing his soaked undies to the side as he moved to pick Allen up again. They'd gone like that many times to many of the caves Kanda frequented, though there was something more intimate about the way Kanda was holding him this time, something softer, warmer. Allen couldn't help but lay his head on Kanda's shoulder as he carried him back to the house, letting himself relax in the warmth that Kanda provided, feeling it spread out inside him as Kanda's hold became tender.

Allen and Kanda both couldn't help but feel guilty once they got back. Walking in, it immediately became apparent that Lavi and Katsura hadn't been pacified by Kanda telling them that Allen would be fine, and, waiting for them to return, had fallen asleep in the living room. Kanda made a face, trying to decide on what to do, though Allen's quiet protests decided for him.

"You can't just leave them here! They were waiting for us, the least you could do is let them know we're fine." he said quietly.

"Well, yeah, but... oh, fine..." Kanda said, his argument falling apart at the, admittedly, cute pout Allen was giving him. In true Kanda fashion, he lifted one leg, balancing perfectly on the other in spite of having Allen in his arms, and with careful aim and precision, kicked Lavi in the ass, effectively waking both him and Katsura up.

"KANDA! For the love of all that's holy, what kind of hour is this to be coming home to?!" was the first thing that came out of Katsura's mouth, underlined with Lavi's wails and moans of pain as he tried fruitlessly to ease the pain on his behind.

"Dunno. What time is it anyway?" Kanda responded nonchalantly, beginning to walk up to his room, Allen hiding his face in the crook of Kanda's neck, more than a little embarrassed.

"It's nearly four, smartass. Four in the goddamn morning. We were worried, Kanda... you should've at least taken your phone." Lavi said, surprising Kanda and making him flinch, though only Allen noticed.

"I... I know, I kinda... lost track of time..." was all he could say, finishing in a rather awkward and embarrassed note.

"How the fuck do you... wait, we've had this conversation before..." Katsura said, and Kanda turned to her, practically able to see the gears turning in her head as she looked at Allen, who smiled sheepishly.

"That was my fault..." he mumbled.

"And that one time before...?" Katsura asked, receiving a nod.

"That was my fault too." he confirmed, hiding his face again.

Katsura and Lavi just stood there, mouths opening and closing for a good five minutes before Katsura found her voice.

"Oh shit... I owe Yuu an apology then..." she said, receiving a glare from Kanda at the play on words.

"Don't worry about it; it was months ago anyway." he said, shrugging.

"Okay!" was Katsura's immediate and cheerful response, complete with the Cheshire cat grin and bubbly happiness.

"Well, aren't you heartbroken." Kanda deadpanned, watching as Lavi began waving his hands wildly in the air, bouncing around like the retarded rabbit he really was.

"Is... is he okay? I mean, does he do this often?" Allen asked, glancing between Kanda and Katsura only to find identical expressions of bored amusement.

"Sadly, yes." Kanda responded, following Lavi with his eyes as he dashed out of the living room and into his office without saying a word.

"So, he's sleeping with you I assume?" Katsura said suddenly, startling them both. She'd only just managed to keep from adding in the much needed "again" in there.

"Uh, yeah..." Kanda said, again embarrassed and barely managing to keep the blush from forming on his face like it had on Allen's the moment the sentence registered, though considering the look she was giving them both it was evident she was aware of not only their chagrin but also the reason why.

"So, um, yeah... I'm just going to... go... to my room now..." Kanda said, already moving towards the staircase and away from the manic lady that was giving him an admittedly scary look now.

"Good night then, darlings. Sweet dreams." Katsura responded, once again giving the Cheshire cat grin, though this time, instead of annoying, it was more than a little creepy.

"Right... you too." Kanda muttered before he turned and walked up the stairs as fast as his pride would allow. Well, more like ran.

Katsura's creepy grin turned to a fond smile as she watched Kanda run up the stairs with Allen in his arms, shaking her head at his reaction. It was difficult to believe, but in spite of all he'd been through in this life he was still naïve in a way. Turning, she decided to give her hyperactive boyfriend a good night kiss before retiring to their room. Finding him though was more difficult than it should be. What he called his office was actually a library they'd built opposite their training room in the basement, spanning the other half of the space beneath their house, which, considering the size of their house, was large enough to become a maze of bookshelves filled to the brim with books that varied in sizes, languages, and content. She wandered around for a good five minutes in there, looking at the various books and noticing a few new ones based solely on the lack of wear on the spine. When she finally did find her elusive partner, it was perched at the very top of a ladder, one arm hooked on the top step, reading a large tome about psychology.

She shook her head again, calling out as softly as she could so as not to startle him too much. "Hey, bunny boy." she really couldn't help the grin when he pouted ever so slightly at the name.

"Not you too, Kat..." Lavi said, putting the book down and descending to talk to her.

"Hey, you can't deny he has a vast wealth of imagination when it comes to nicknames." she said, moving to wind her arms around his shoulders.

Lavi laughed. "True true... so, what are we going to do about our new goldfish?" he said, resting his hands on her hips.

"Keep him, of course. Our dear Yuu has already made that choice, after all." she said, shrugging.

Lavi chuckled. "And what about that... old friend of yours?" he asked.

"Oh, that old thing? What about it?" she said.

"Won't 'it' get upset? I thought their kind ate mermaids." Lavi looked worried, and a bit confused.

"Oh, don't worry, love. Allen's a bit... different, isn't he? And besides," Katsura said, her face morphing into a cold sneer. "It's not like we see that particular pet of mine often."

"...Katsura?" Lavi whispered, more than a little frightened.

Her eyes focused on his, slowly regaining their warmth the longer their eyes remained locked. When she finally was herself again, she shook her head, moving to stand closer, shaken herself.

"I'm sorry... I haven't quite mastered self control yet, it seems." she said.

Lavi hugged her, comforting her just as much as he was reassuring himself. "It's okay. Let's just focus on schooling Allen for now, alright?" he said.

"What do you mean?" Katsura said, looking at him.

"Well, if he's going to stay in a human home, he has to understand how things work, doesn't he?" Lavi said, grinning a school boy's mischievous grin.

"You're going to make him do something ghastly, aren't you?" Katsura deadpanned.

"Hey, he has to learn somehow!"Lavi defended, and they both laughed.

"School then?" Lavi asked, and Katsura nodded, matching his grin.

"Allen's going to be a freshman in highschool." they said in unison, then proceeded to laugh like the true maniacs they are, scaring Allen and Kanda all the way up in the second floor.

* * *

A.N.: It's been forever, I know. I have no excuses for how long I take with these... Review?


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